The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-10-04
Edenharter Says the Union Party
Does Not Represent Workingmen.
He Also Defends the Coy Gang in Speech
to Residents of the Eighth Ward-Talk
About Local Politics.


as candidate for Mayor solely in behalf of the
Liquor League. He was defeated by over sixty
votes, but the narrow margin suggested to the
gang bosses the contingent process W.
Ripley then, now, a gang candidate for
alderman. James a. Pritchard defeated him
fairly by nine votes. Here again the small ma
jority offered another chance for counting out.
as thereby Coy would be able to have majority
of one in the board. The recount began with
Coy at the front in the interest Of his lawless
element Albert F. Ayres, who. tor short
time usurped the Office of criminal judge last
fall the strength of the tally -sheet forgeries
and Sterling Hclt, who for a few weeks
at the beginning of this year, was police COM
missioner, a place he obtained OF the demand OF
Coy and Sullivan were the majority of tho re-
counting board From first to last they sub
milted the dictation of Coy. and overruled
protest after protest offered by the Republican
commissioner Charles A Dryer. Coy by his
unfair methods reduced Pritchard's majority
from nine to one. He made mistake, it is
said, IN mis- calculation and manipulation OF the
ballots He expected to give Ripley majority
of two. Not to be outdone, he insisted on hav
ing another recount, and Ayres and Holt coin
cioed with him. The Republican commissioners.
Dryer, who had the key to the ballot-box
needed-for they proposed to take particular
wards for further NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. to sur
render it. The ballots in sealed bags had been
replaced in al, the boxes after they
counted the first time. Coy and Sullivan, fall
ing to get the keys. before daybreak on the 9th
of October 1885. went to Judge Ayres, under
whose orders the recount was held, and on
misrepresen tation secured what they claimed TO
be an order for the second recount of the alder
manic votes. Dryer still refused. st which Sui
Ivan, who his own demand DISPLACED
one of the watchers first appointed
Thomas O'Ne, in his employment
into the Judges private room and found a
Ratchet. This he handed to Holt who, rushing
to the ballot box of the First precinct, Third
ward. upon which Mr.. Dryer sat. pushed him off.
and in a moment had the top splintered In an
other moment the ballots from that precinct
were scattered pell NELL upon the table. With
Coy and Sullivan busily mixing them up. The
people were outraged. the honest watchers pro-
tested, and a riot seemed imminent For this
the gang was prepared, for the corridors at the
time were crowded by the worst-looking cut
throats that disgraced a city County
Clerk McLain, who was keeping the tallies.
threatened to appeal to Judge Ayres, when Coy
insoleDtly SAID. "Oh, - Ayers; he's one OF
our kind!" The illegal recount proceeded, and
Ripley given ma ority of TWO; but the Re-
publican claim Of a majority of one was sus-
tanned by the courts
This dasrardly act moved Mr.. Dryer to send
in his resignation one of the recounting COM
missioners. In his letter to Judge Ayres he
pursuing
and locked agreed upon by the commissioners.
and as law required. after a count had been made
thereof. for the reason. without question. In my
opinion. that favorite candidate had not re-
ceive6 sufficiently high vote to elect him. seems
dastardly and outrageous upon the rights of
the people and in defiance of law that do not
longer feel it to be my duty to act with the COM
mission who seem to be moved regardless of
law or justice obtain their partisan ends. l
might go further and speak of the annoyance to
the commissioners by outsiders in attempt
ing to count the ballots. and of the submissive
manner in which the majority of the commits
sioners have accepted the dictation OF some of
the watchers"
The resignation not accepted. but Coy
and Sullivan, with the effrontery, injustice and
desperation of political bandits pursued the
same methods in the recount IN the votes for
Mayor. By trickery the majority for Denny
was reduced from sixty to nine This was the
first bold attempt of the gang to usurp power
regardless of the rights of the people, decency
and law.
It is in elections and handling returns where
the gang bosses, Coy and Sullivan, show their
political lawlessuess. Both have been tried
once and are still under indictment for conspir-
acy in securing the forging of tally-sheets last
fall In the conspiracy trial, in July last,
Samuel E. Perkins testified that after he pro-
cured at the instigation OF Gov, the election
papers from Allen Hisey, of the Second precinct
of the thirteenth ward. he went back to Coy.
Il with him." continued Mr.. Perkins.
'seast in the hall to a room at the east end of the
building. Mr.. Coy took from his rocket a key.
opened the door and l went in with him. When
candidate for criminal judge was about
eighty votes behind, and desired me to make
change. He said he thought that precinct could
stand change of sixteen votes each way. and
asked me to take knife and erase tallies from
Judge Irwin and place them on those of Judge
Ayr-s. He furnished me knife and changed
the sheets taking from Irwin sixteen votes and
adding them the vote for Ayres. When 1
first begun he stood and leaned over the table.
watching what | was doing. Before concluded
he went out of the room. He came back again
by himself. few moments after Coy went out
somebody tried the door. I: was John Seardon,
who brought in a man named Flynn. He went
over and sat down py the window, and began
reading a paper. ;"
In regard to the papers of Mattler. Mr.. Perk-
ms said either Matter Coy gave them to
he changed it on Criminal judge.
either twenty-five or thirty votes" In rehears-
ing the incidents of the morning of the canvass
of the returns. Mr.. Perkins said: II did nothing
with any other myself than these two. went
over to the Courthouse In the morning and met
Mr. Hisey standing upon the steps. waiting with
his returns sealed up the bag. He went IN
with me to the county clerk and he recelpted Tor
stairs A short time after that the board OF
canvassers was organized. Mr.. Hisev did not
have the outside ia pers. They had been taken
away by the judge two nights before. so vent
to one or two gentlemen and finally to Mr.. Lam
ders. The returns from Mr.. Landerse ward
in the same condition as ours asked
him to make a motion that the bags be sent for
in precincts where there we're no outside papers.
He made the motion. When he made 1t Span
came and said. What In Ill are you doing,
to make that motionf How are we to use these al
tered tally papers If the bags are usedF That was
all there was of that motion. The next transac-
ton related here before Mr.. Coy stated to
me they behind with the candidate for
criminal Judge and asked me if could get the
tally-papers from my precinct and help them
ont. l went To Mr.. Hisey. got the papers and
took them TO the room with Mr. Coy After Mr..
Matter came in. MIR. Smith Myers came in.
Then in the next two three minutes Mr.
Daniel Burton came in. He walked ND and
ha w q r
God this is no place for me- and went out.
When I went out left Smith Myers and Coy In
the room. l went to the canvassiug room. On
the way Mr Beck came IN with tally sheet
under his coat. He asked to take 1t and al
ter it, ] said that he as able as and thas
had done nv share. l had Mr. Cows knife and
gave it to Mr.. Beck and he into Mr. Cows
room. Coy came back to me after while and
said Matter had become frightened. ! asked